Greatest Cricket Moments

William Lambert's Treble Single-Wicket — Lord's, August 1808

1808-08-08Lambert vs three opponentsSingle-wicket triple match: William Lambert v three opponents, Lord's Old Ground, 8 August 18081 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

On 8 August 1808 William Lambert played a single-wicket match at Lord's against three opponents — bowling, batting and fielding alone against a side of three. He won by 11 runs. The match is one of the most famous individual feats of the underarm era and the first major demonstration of Lambert's all-round ability that would, ten years later, see him called the finest cricketer in England.

Background

Lambert had emerged as a top-rank player in the seasons after his 1801 debut. By 1808 he was widely regarded as the leading all-round cricketer in England.

What Happened

One-against-three single-wicket matches were occasionally arranged in Regency cricket as exhibitions. Lambert's August 1808 match was for stakes of 30 guineas. He batted first and made 56; the three opponents — drawn from Surrey village cricket — made 28 between them in their first innings. Lambert added 23 in his second innings; the three needed 75 to win, made 39, and were dismissed. Lambert was 29, in his prime, and his single-handed performance was the talk of the cricketing press for weeks.

Timeline

1779

Lambert born at Burstow

1801

Senior debut

8 Aug 1808

One-against-three single-wicket victory at Lord's

1817

First man to score two centuries in a major match

1818

Banned from Lord's after match-fixing accusations

Aftermath

Lambert continued to play single-wicket matches, including the 1817 fixture from which his match-fixing accusations would later emerge.

⚖️ The Verdict

One of the most striking individual feats of the underarm era — a one-against-three victory at Lord's.

Legacy & Impact

The 1808 treble match is the canonical demonstration of Lambert's all-round powers. It is cited in every nineteenth-century memoir of Regency cricket.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does one-against-three single-wicket work?▾
The single batter faces all three opposing players in turn — bowling, batting and fielding alternated within their side. Runs only score on the off side. The lone player must outscore the combined total of the three.

Tags

#regency-cricket#underarm#william-lambert#single-wicket#1808#iconic-moment

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